Diamond power



F. BOWERSv BOILER CLEANER Nov. 9 1926.

Original Filed Nov. 30l 1917 5 Sheets-Sheet l mwwto [fem ,Bowers @Mmm/Mm' F. BOWERS BOILER CLEANER Nov. 9 1926.

Original Filed Nov 30, 1917 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 {g1/wanten [172172Z awers s@ @www wwwa,"

Nov. 9 1926.

F. BOWERS BOILER CLEANER 3 Sheets-Sheet :5

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Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

.UNITED STATES FRANK BOWERS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, :BYv MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

PATENT oFFlcE.

'DIAMOND POWER SPECIALTY CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORA- TION OF MICHIGAN.

BOILER CLEANER.

Application led November 30, 1917, Serial No. 204,556. Renewed November 6, 1922. Serial No. 599,559.

This invention relates to soot blowers and refers more particularly to'blowers of the type having rotary units for directing jets of steam or the like for cleaning the tubes.

i One of the objects of the invention is to provide a ,device for automatically operating the various units by power in contredistinction to the usual hand operation. The

invention also resides in the provision of f1.0 an electric control for the various units and for insuring the unit being rotated at all times when the valve to that particular unit is open; and in such other features of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts as will`- more fullyl hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is adiagrammatic side elevation-- al view showing'my invention applied 'to a boiler;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the 5 controlling cylinder, laid out in a single plane;

vFigure 3- is an enlarged view'of one of the units taken at right angles to Figure 1. Figure 4 is an endvew similar to Figure 3. y Describing in detail the articular embodiment of my invention Ihown in the drawings, A designates a boiler which in .the particular instance shown is of the Stiro ling type. In this typeof boiler there are a plurality of upper drums A connected to a lower mud drum A2 by banks of tubes A2' The gases are compelled to travel up and down over the baiiie-Af and beneath the baille A5. For cleaning the soot ol'from the banks of tubes A2 there .are employed a series of rotary blower units B B, B2, B2 l and B2, although the invention is not limited to any particular number or arrangel ment of units. Ordinarily these units are operated by hand mechanism such as chainsl extending over pulleys or the like, and the present invention particularly contemplatesa power-operated mechanism for rotating the units at predetermined times' and durmg the desired period. For this In the particular construction shown the control mechanism comprime a slowly rotating cylinder E driven by any suitable' This cylin means, such as the motor-E. der has at one en d a series of elongated contacts F, F and F2. There is one of these contacts for each of the three boilers.- (not shown, herein` referred to as l, 2 and 3, and V the contacts are arranged in alignment so that whenever the ,cylinder E is being rotated one or the contacts F will be in electrical connection with the main line of contact G. Near the opposite end of the cylinder a somewhat simi ar series of elongated contactsKH, H and H2 are arranged, the

last-mentioned series of contacts, however',A

being out of alignment so that only one of them can atfany time engage the corresponding contacts I, I and I2 which lead tothe main valves of the boilers 1, 2 and 3 res ectively.

n addition to the elon ated series of contacts F, F and F2 vand H' and H2 the cylinder E is provided with individual contacts J, J', J2, J 8 and J 2 which successivel register upon rotation of the cylinderwith the 'individual contacts K, K', K2, Ki" and K4 which close the circuit to the individual motors C'. C C2. C2 and C4 of the blower units B, B', 2, Ba and B4.

, The operation of the control cylinder as above described is as follows: Assuming that the cylinderis rotating toward the left, that is, in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2 the blower units of boiler number 1. will be first .automatically operated, each unit in succession as follows: On the initial turning of the cylinder one of the lseries of contacts G, one of the contacts K, K', etc., will entill dll

ftd

dll

gage the corresponding contact J, J', etc., and one of the contacts I, I', I2 will engage the corres onding contact H, H', or H2. This will rst result in energi-zing the electro magnet L, the circuit being traced as follows: main lead X, conductor Z, contacts G and F, conductor Z', contacts H and l, conductor W, electro magnet L, and main lead Y.

Said electro-magnet when energized, Will Withdraw the main valve M from its seat, permitting steam tov pass in the various branch pipes N, N', N2, N3, and Nt. Energization of the electromagnet L will vmove the contact O into' engagement With the contact O', closing a circuit leading to the various motors C, C' etc., which circuit may be traced as follows: main lead X, conductor Z, contacts G and l?, conductor Z, contacts d and K, conductor U, motor C, conductor P, contacts O, 0', main lead Y. lhe unit driven b motor C will operate until the cylinderis rotated a sutlicient distance to operate the unit B through the desired periodot time, whereupon the contact J will move out of engagement with the contact K and the contact J' come into engagement With Vthe contact K', closing the circuit throu h the motor C and operating the unit imilarly the units B2, B3 and B4 are operated one after another until each of the units of the boiler number 1 have been automatically rotated to clean the soot tromthe tubes ot that boiler. rlhe continued rota tion of 'the cylinder E in the direction indicated by the arrow then moves the contact Y Hc out of engagement With the contact l and brings the contact la.' into 'engagement with the contact l', alter Which the various units of this boiler are operated in accordance with. the description ot that tor boiler number l. The blowers of boiler number are then brought into operation automatically by the engagement of the contact H With the contact l2, after Which the contacts :for boiler number l again come into play and automatically re eat the cycle ot operationn lt vvill be understood that by simply providing additional contacts l?, H and d the cleaners ttor any number ot boilers can be power-operated and automatically controlled troni the same cylinder.

in boiler cleaners of the type above nientioned it is etten undesirable to operate the unit through a complete circle, since in so doing the steam jets Would be directed against the batlies or other parte ot the boiler Where they would be liable to produce injury. l therefore provide a novel arrange' ment tor permitting the rotation or" the .units through an entire circle but automatically cutting on the steam to each unit during any predetermined period et its rotation. llihile :various constructions might be employed for this purpose, I have found the 4following arrangement simple and practical for performing this function.

In detail the automatic cut-od consists in providing a cam Q rotating With each unit and adapted to force the corresponding cut- 0E valve R or R', etc., back against the tenlsion of a spring S so as to permit steam to pass into the unit from its branch supply pipe as long as the cam is in engagement With the lug S' which is formed as a projecting end of the -stem of the valve.r As soon, however, as the cam passes out ot engagement with the lug S" the spring will automatically close the valve. Therefore a continuous rotation of the unit through any number of complete turns can be made Without in any Way injuring the battles or other parts of the boiler against Which it is not desired to direct the steam jets.

A further feature of my invention resides in the arrangement for preventing the cutting or injuring of the boiler tubes by steam jets being accidentally directed against one spot when the unit is not being rotated. For thispurpose an additional switch is e ployed which is so arranged that when the valve to any particular unit is opened thel circuit will be closed to the motor for that particular unit so that it Will continue to rotate even though the current to the cylinder should be accidentally cut oitll that is, it Will continue to rotate until ,the low point on the cam. is reached when the valve Will be automatically closed by the spring or steam pressure and the additional contact also automatically broken.: lFor this purpose each of the lugs S' is provided with an additional Contact T which will engage a contact di" and close the circuit to that particular motor independent ot the cylinder. as long as the enlarged portion o the cam holds the lugs S' back and the valve open. However, as soon as the motor has rotated the unit so as to bring the low point ot the cam into registration with the lug S' and thus release the latter the engagement between contactsT and 'l" will be automatically brolren.y

The source ot electrical energy is from the main lead K back through the various mechanisms to the main lead Y. Assuming that the cylinder is .first turned to bring the Contact F into engagement with the contact Gr it will simultaneously bring the Contact @l into engagement With the contact K and the contact H into'enga ement with the Contact l.. The direction o" the current is then from the main lead X from the source of energy, such as a dynamo or other source (not shown) down through the conductor Z to the contact G through the conductor Z6, contact d, contact K and conductor U to the motor C and down through the conductor l) to the contact Simullill) recenti taneously the circuit is connected through the contact F, conductor-Z', contact H, contact I, conductor W to the return main lead Y. The closing of this circuit energizes the magnet L thereby attracting the armature so as to open the valve M and also bring the contact 0 intoengagement with the con'- tact O which closes the circuit between the conductor P and the main lead Y. Thus the motor C will be energized and at the same time as it rotates, the cam Q will force the valve R open and hold the contacts T and T engaged. This same cycle of operations will continue for each of the motors C, C'. C2, C3 and C4 after which the contacts F and H will ass yout of engagement with the contacts and I and the contacts I4" and H `pass into contact with the contacts G and I', after which the blowers of the second boiler will be operated, the motors of this set corresponding to motors C, C', etc., receiving current from contacts K, K', etc., through conductors U', U, etc.; and after this cycle of ope-rations has been completed, contacts F2 and H2 will respectively engage contacts Gr and I2 and the blowers oi' the third boiler will be operated, `the respective motors of this set receiving current from contacts K, K', etc., through conductors U2, U2, etc. The second and third boilers are provided with valves corresponding to valves M which are operated respectively from contacts I', I2 through conductors W', W2. For the sake of clearness` the duplication of these second and third series leading to the second and third sets of rotary blower units is not repeated in detail in the-drawings, it of course being understood that there are a second and thirf boiler and blower units for the same corresponding to that shown in Figure 1.

Various changes, however, in the details of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts can be'made within the `scope of my invention.

4What I claim as my invention is:

l. ln a boiler cleaner, the combination with a plurality of blower units for each of several boilers, of 'power-operated means for-rotating said blower units, and an elec- 'tric control for automatically bringing into operation in succession the various units for cleaning one boiler and; then the units for cleanin another boiler of the series.

2..In a oiler cleaner, the combination with a plurality of 'blower units adapted to discharge steam jets or the' like, o an electric control for automatically connecting the various units so as to cause their successive rotation, and means independent of said electric control for insuring the rotation of the' units at all times when the..

supply is open thereto.

3. n a boiler cleaner, the combination with a plurality of rotary blower units, of

a driving means associated with each of said units, -means applying-.steam to said units, and means for automaticallyenergizing the several driving means in succession.

4:. ln a boiler cleaner, the combination with a plurality of rotatable blower units. of motors respectively arranged to drive said units, means supplying steam for said units,

circuits for the respective motors, and a driven controller member for successively energizing said circuits.

5. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with abattery of boilers, and a plurality of rotatable blower units associated with each of said boilers, of driving motors respectively associated with said units, a main circuit for the motors of each of said boilers, branch circuits for the respective driving motors of each boiler, a driven controller, means carried by vsaid controller for successively closing said main circuits, and means upon the controller for successively closing the branch 'circuits whilel the corresponding main circuit is closed.

6.v In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a rotatable blower unit and a driving motor therefor, of a valve controlling 'the steam supply to said unit, a normal circuit for said motor, a supplemental circuit for said motor, an actuated controller for periodically closing the normal motor circuit, and means for closing'or breaking the supplemental circuit according as said valve is open or closed.

7. In a boiler cleaner, thecombination with a plurality of blower units, of a normally closed main control valve for said units, individual normally closed control valves for the same, automatic meansl for periodically opening said main control valve and automatic means for successively opening said individual valves during each open period of the main control valve.

8. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a plurality of rotative blower units, of a normally closed main control valve for said units, individual normally closed control ,valves for the units, automatic means for periodically opening said main control valve, means for successively rotating the blower units during the open periods of the main control valve, and means for opening the individual control valve of each unit during a portion of each revolution thereof.

9. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a pluralit of rotative blower units, of a normally osed main control valve for said units, individual normally closed control valves for the units, automatic'means for periodically opening said main control valve, meansfor successively rotating the blower units during the open periods of the main control valve and mechanism associated with each unit and actuable by rotation thereof for opening the corresponding indiun i vidual valve during a portion of each revolution of the unit.

' 10. The combination with 'a boiler of rotative blower units, of a normally closed main control valve for said units, individual normally closed valves for the units, automatic means for periodically opening said control valves, means for successively rotating the blower units during the open periods of the main control valve and mechanism `with a plurality of blower units, of a norassociating with each unit and a'ctuable by rotation thereof for opening the corresponding individual valve at regular intervals.

11. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a plurality of blower units, of a normally closed main control valve for said units, individual normally closed control valves for the units, valve controlling means whereby said main control valve may be periodically opened, and m'yeans automatically acting after the first said' means starts to act for successively opening said individual valves during each open period of the main control valve.

'12. In a boiler cleaner, the combination with a lurality of blower units, of a normally c osed main control valve for said units, individual normally closed control valves for the units, a movable control member, means for moving said control member,

means responsive to movement of the control member for unseating the said main control valve, means also responsive to movement of the control member for automatically successively opening said individual valves, the lirst said means being adapted to maintain the main control valve unseated' during'the said successive operation of the said individual control valves.

13.- In a boiler cleaner, the combination mally closed main control valve for said units, individual normalli7 "closed control valves for the units, a movable control member provided with a luralit'y 'of controlling elements, one of said) elements being relatively long in comparison to the others,

means controlled by said relatively long element and responsive to movement of the sald control membervfor unseatmg the sa1d main control valve, means controlled by the others of said elements and also responsive to movement of the said control member for automatically successively opening said individual valves, the irstsaid means being adapted to maintain the main control valve unseated during the said successive operation of the said individual control valves.

Inl testimony whereof I -aflix my signature.

FRANK BOWERS. 

